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If you are not used to riding a bike the, ahem, hardest part can be the seat. With their drive to make bikes look sleek and sexy, bike saddles are often slim hard things that are incredibly uncomfortable. Or at the other extreme, they are so soft that they provide no support whatsoever. Whatever your feelings are it’s likely that they all bikes will be made far more comfortable with the addition of a comfortable Gel Saddle Cover.
What makes Comfortable Gel Saddle Cover?
A Gel Saddle cover usually consists of three parts:
The exterior of the cover is generally a Lycra/spandex material that is light, durable and easy to clean. The most disappointing part of this is that the color is usually always black, although we have found a decent purple cover that looks great!
This Lycra shell covers the most important part, the support. Generally this is a gel, or occasionally memory foam. Its the gel that provides the additional comfort, by creating a soft yet flexible cushion that molds itself against the original seat.
Finally comes the draw string. Most saddles are ‘one size fits all’ to keep the saddle from slipping about when in use they drawstring, or sometimes elastic, attaches round the saddle and pulls every thing tight.
Why would you need a gel saddle cover?
As described in the opening paragraph, exercise bike saddles can be hard and uncomfortable, either that or they are far to soft and lack support. The other reason you may want to buy a gel saddle cover is of course hygiene. If you use a commercial exercise bike at a gym, then there is no telling how many people have used the bike in the past. Keeping your own personal saddle between you and the bike is common sense.
Do you need a different cover for men or women?
While most covers are unisex, deciding on whether to use a different cover for men or women is needed comes down to personal preference.
The big difference between men and women, when it comes to cycling is that when you ride its the tips of the pelvis bone that support your weight on the saddle. For men these bones are much closer together, meaning that they are already supported by the narrow saddle. For women they often see an advantage in wider saddles (increased using a cover!) for additional support and comfort.
You sometimes find covers that have two lumps of gel at either side for this reason. We have tried this, and what we find is it feels like sitting on two squashy eggs! We much prefer large areas of gel that have plenty of space to flow and mould to our contours.
What are the best and most Comfortable Gel Saddles?
Our top pick of bike saddles, which will be perfect for probably 80% of all riders is the Schwinn Adult Double Gel Bicycle Saddle Seat Cover:
The cover measures 11 inches long from tip to tail and eight inches wide to fit over most adult bike seats.
If you like your bike seat to still look like a sleek saddle then the Selle Italia adds a little Italian style to the look. The nice thing about this saddle cover is that its available in two widths, so you can choose the right size for your bike. Incredibly comfortable and, for us, the best looking of this range.
The cover measures 11 inches long from tip to tail and eight inches wide to fit over most adult bike seats.